Improvement in breech ing-hooks



J. H. LITTLEFIELD.

Hold-Back. No. 48,415. Patented June 27. 1865.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIGE' IMPROVEMENT EN BREECHlNG-HOOKS.

" Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 18,415, dated June 27, 1865.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OSEH H. LITTLEFIELD, of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Brecching-Hooks for Carriage-Shafts; and I do hereby declare the following is afull,-and exact description of the same, reference being bad to the drawings which accompany and form a part of these specifications, in whieh- Figure 1 represents the hook resting in its place on the shaft; Fig. 2, a sectional view, showing the extent of movement given to the frontend of the curved lever A, the manner of inserting the spiral spring F, also the method of fastening the article to the shaft. Fig. Bis a top view of the hook. Fig. 4 is a sectional view, showing the elongation of the sfandard B and the place occupied by the springF; Fig.5, a view,in part, of the under side of the lever A, displaying the slot for the elongation or tongue (3.

The same letters represent corresponding parts in the different figures.

Letter A represents a bent or curved lever, the front end of which rises and falls, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig.2; letter B, a standard, which, with its flange H and the screw E, forms the firm and immovable part of the hook; C, an elongation of the standard B, extending into the slot 1 in the lever A on its under side, as seen in Fig. 2; D, an elevation on the lever A, to allow sufficient extention to the elongation or tongue O of the stand ard B; E, a part of the standard B, which enters the shaft, and has a screw out on its surface, as seen in Fig. 2; F, a spiral spring, of steel or brass, and, acting on the under side of the short arm of the leverA, keeps the other end down to the shaft; H, the flange of the standard B, with a mortise for the lower end of the lever A and the spring F, as seen in Fig. 2; I, a slot in the under side of the lever A, receiving the elongation of the standard B.

The object of my invention is to furnish a strong and durable breechi'ng-hook which will promptly let out the breeching-strap when,from breaking the tugs or any other accident, safety may suddenly require it, and one that will be sure to keep the said strapin its proper place at all other times.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, Iwill more particularly describe its structure and mode of operation.

The parts A and B, I make of any metal or composition of metal that would be of suitable strength for the purpose.

The spring F may be of rubber or metal, or any other equivalent thereto.

The object of making the tongue or elongation G extend upward into the lever A is avery important one, as it prevents any open space between the standard B and the lever A when said lever is raised up, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. The objection to an open space here is that any want of care in hitching the breeching-strap would let it (the said strap) slip in between the standard'B and the lever A, and thus danger be produced instead ofavoided. This arrangement of allowing the extension of the tongue G has another importantadvantage, as it allows the front end of the lever 'A to be lifted higher from the shaft than any other similarly-constructed hook heretofore in use, and thus renders it certain that the breechin g-straps, though stiff and wide,will slip out when the tugs or whiffletree breaks, or when, for any other reasons, it is desired to free the horse suddenly from the carriage. Still further, this tongue 0 keeps the lever A from being bent from side to side, and perhaps broken in case of the horses falling down, or

othervyise,

I do not claim, broadly, the use of self-releasing breechinghooks, nor any particular form of book, or especial manner of attaching it to the shaft; but

\Vhat I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The hook A, with its swell D and slotI, the standard B, with its tongue or continuation O, and the spring F, all constructed, arranged,

and combined substantially as described, and

for the purposes set forth.

JOSEPH H. LITTLEFIELD. Witnesses:

DANIEL O. COLBY, F. T. OUSHING. 

